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This Atari 2600 Handheld Brings The Woodgrain

Woodgrain. There was a time when all of our coolest gadgets (and station wagons) were covered in this fake veneer. I for one, think it looks awesome and wish everything from our phones to our computers was still covered in the stuff. Sadly, no gadget maker seems to appreciate this look today, but the creator of this handheld RetroPie Atari 2600 console does.

This is what Atari’s Game Boy would have looked like had they released such a thing.

Modder Christian (“TheF00”) Doran’s handheld looks appropriately retro in black and woodgrain. Inside, it packs a Pi Zero micro computer running RetroPie so it can play lots of emulated games. I’m not gonna lie; I just love the classic design of this thing. It’s simple and elegant. The body is black plastic, with red buttons and a D-pad for controls. The vinyl woodgrain applique around the screen completes the aesthetic. It makes me feel all warm and nostalgic. I may need to play some old games today like Space Invaders or Asteroids.

If you want to print your own so you can have one, you can find the files for the 3D-printed case on Thingiverse, and the creator of this handheld has also provided a basic guide to sourcing the other parts. It’s all easy to find stuff that’s available on eBay and other places online.